The Gift
by eccentrictulip
Summary: Bolin wants to give Korra a gift to show his gratitude for letting him stay on the island, and finds a necklace that means a little more than what he thinks…


The Gift

Fandom: Legend of Korra

Rating: K

Pairing: Borra

Summary: Bolin wants to give Korra a gift to show his gratitude for letting him stay on the island, and finds a necklace that means a little more than what he thinks...

Bolin carefully appraised the jewelry set in front of him, stroking his invisible beard thoughtfully. He ran his hands over the gemstones, holding them up to the light, looking like he made a decision before placing it back down again. He did this about three times before his brother let out an annoyed groan.

"Come _on_, Bolin, we don't have all day!" He shot his brother a look. While still observing the jewelry, Bolin tutted at Mako.

"This takes time, bro! I can't be all willynilly picking this out! Do you realize how amazing it was of Korra to go out of her way to have us live on the island! This gift needs to reflect my gratitude, while also befitting of gracing someone as beautiful as she is." Mako rolled his eyes.

"I think we've shown enough gratitude by watching those brats all the time..." It was time for Bolin to shoot Mako a look.

"Hey, I love those kids! Just because they don't like you because you're a professional _jerkbender_ doesn't make them brats." The brothers glared at each other for a moment before Mako huffed and began leaving the store.

"I'm done here. My shift starts in half an hour anyway, I'll see you later." And with that, he was gone. Bolin shrugged it off and began looking at the jewelry again. There were stones from every corner of the color spectrum, set or hung from precious metals that complemented their hue. He picked up a silver ring with a round amber gem and rolled it between his fingers. It was nice, but not for Korra. She'd probably lose it within ten minutes of wearing it. He picked up a thick golden bangle, studded with emeralds. Again, nice, but not for Korra, it was too flashy. His gaze met a pair of pearl studs. He smiled, thinking he found the perfect gift...until he saw the price. He had exactly five gold pieces to spend on her. Bolin had been putting in extra shifts at construction sites and had been saving for weeks to get Korra this gift. He'd just about given up all hope until a glimmer from the corner of the store caught his eye...

He saw it. The perfect piece. A round, smooth blue stone with a swirly design, hanging from a navy ribbon. It was displayed high above the counter and he asked the shopkeep to bring it down.

"It's authentic Southern Water Tribe, and a steal at only 10 gold pieces!" The shopkeep said, trying to persuade the young man. Bolin's smile fell as he looked at the five pieces in his palm.

"It's perfect for her, but...I don't have enough. Sorry..." The shopkeep couldn't help but sympathize with Bolin. He was obviously had a specific purpose for buy this necklace, why else would he have picked it out? He gave Bolin a smile.

"You know what? You seem like a good, young man. I'll give it to you half price; five gold pieces." Bolin's face lit up as he placed the coins into the shopkeep's hand.

"Sold! Thank you _so _much, you have no idea how important this is to me!" The shopkeep smirked as he packaged the necklace.

"Oh, I think I do." He handed Bolin a small white box that held the necklace. As he left, the shopkeep called out good luck. This confused him, but did nothing to stop the high he was on.

As he rode the ferry back to the island, he thought of exactly how he'd give it to her. He wanted it to be special, a moment they got to share and remember for the rest of their lives. After a few minutes of contemplation, Bolin came up with the perfect idea. After dinner, Korra usually retreated to her room for the rest of the night. He would sneak in as quietly as possible, tell her to close her eyes as he placed the necklace on her. It would be perfect.

Dinner had passed and Korra sat on her bed with a candle lit and a book in front of her. It was one of Tenzin's, a collection of writings from air nomads that lived over 1,000 years ago. She struggled through the archaic language, hoping she could absorb their wisdom through her eyeballs. She was so deep in her reading she didn't even hear her sliding door open.

Bolin carefully padded up to her, necklace in hand. He was so excited to see the look on her face her could barely contain himself. When he was finally standing behind her, he placed his hand over her eyes and trilled "Guess whoooo~"

Korra wasn't a fan of surprises, to say the least. She gave Bolin a good elbow in the stomach and he keeled over in pain. When she looked over to see who it is, a pang of guilt resonated within her.

"Oh no, Bo, I'm so sorry, I didn't realize!" She kneeled down by his curled up form. Ignoring the pain radiating from his abdomen, he gave Korra a weak smile and came to a sitting posistion.

"It's alright, really," He smiled at her again. Korra felt a wave of relief wash over her when she caught the glint of something in his hand.

"What's that?" She pointed to Bolin's fist, where the gem of the necklace was partially visible. He looked down at it, a little dissapointed his plan failed.

Bolin unfurled his fist and held the necklace out in front of Korra's face. "Surprise! I got it today, just for you!" Korra was speechless. Her eyes were the size of dinner plates and her mouth was agape.

"Here, let me put it on you!" He took the necklace and fastened it on. The stone fell between her clavicle bones and looked striking against her complexion. Bolin had a smile a mile wide, but Korra's face remained shocked. He furrowed his brows, confused that she wasn't as excited as he was. Korra's finger tips gently carressed the stone.

"Bolin..." She said softly, her gaze cast downward. Bolin's confusion turned into concern and doubt.

"Do you not like it? The guy at the shop said it was authentic Southern Water Tribe and I thought it'd be perfect for you but it must be a fake or something-"

"No, it's definately not a fake," Korra cut him off. She gently stroked the stone again, the feeling familiar to her. It felt the same as the gem that hung around her mother's neck.

"Then, what's wrong?" Bolin asked, his voice soft and innocent. Korra was unsure of her response. Part of her wanted to freak out and get angry. She had told him she wasn't interested and now he gives her this? But Korra knew that wasn't the right reaction. She could tell he had no idea what this necklace meant. It was a funny situation, really. A smile crept onto her face as she thought about it.

"Nothing's wrong, really, but this is a betrothal necklace. In the Water Tribes, a man gives it to the woman he wishes to marry, and she can either accept or reject his proposal." It was Bolin's turn to be stunned. He was quiet for a moment before he began sputtering out an explanation.

"Oh, oh no, I don't wanna _marry_ you - not that you're not worth marrying, but we're both so young and you still got Avatar stuff to do and I'm sorry I'm just so stupid and I don't even know what I'm trying to say but..." He sighed, looking down at the floor. Korra couldn't help but laugh a little.

"It's okay, Bo, really," She placed a few fingers under his chin and titled his head up so his gaze met hers. "It's really sweet. I can tell you put a lot of thought into it." As Korra started into his eyes, so full of innocence and kindness and love, she felt her heart somersault. He really cared about her and...she cared about him. More than she realized. Before either of them knew it, their lips met in a gentle, warm kiss. Korra reluctantly broke it off and looked into his eyes. A soft blush tinted his cheeks and he pulled Korra into an embrace. The two held each other wordlessly for awhile, just enjoying the feelings of their bodies together.

After awhile, Korra took the necklace off her and pressed it into Bolin's palm. A look of disspapointment flickered in his eyes. She leaned in, her lips brushing his earlobe.

"Hold onto it, it could be useful someday."


End file.
